Trouble Outside the Doorstep
by Agent R
Summary: With Duncan and Tessa absent, Richie finds himself beaten by vandals, and abducted by a gang of Immortals. Please read and review.
1. Default Chapter

Trouble Outside the Doorstep  
  
(This story's going to be pretty serious, unlike the rest of my stories, there'll be no comic relief)  
  
"Now remember Richie, no bringing over a handful of people after we leave, I don't want to come back here and find this place looking like the Beastie Boys live here," Tessa reminded Richie.  
  
"Yes ma'am," Richie saluted, "don't worry Tess, I know, lock up after you leave, no friends, no loud music, and no messing with anything that burns, go on, have a good time, if that's even possible."  
  
Duncan and Tessa were going out to dinner with a couple of old friends they met over some discussion about antique dealing, they were going to catch up on old times, and that was something Richie didn't want any part of and therefore for the past 2 days repeatedly begged Duncan and Tessa to let him stay home.  
  
"And remember Richie, when we say no friends, that includes lady friends, the last thing I want is to come home and find you and a blonde in a bra top passed out on the couch again," Duncan reminded him.  
  
"Don't you have a hanging to attend?" Richie asked.  
  
"Allright, allright, we're going, I promised Vic we'd be early anyway, just stay out of trouble while we're gone," Duncan told him.  
  
Duncan and Tessa left, closing the door behind them, Richie waited until he heard them get in the car when he started up.  
  
"'Stay out of trouble Richie', 'I don't want to come home and find this place looking like the Beastie Boys live here Richie', 'That includes lady friends Richie', why don't they just get me a choke collar and a leash? Then they won't even have to talk to me, they can just YANK when they have a problem," Richie said.  
  
Richie bolted the door shut, headed into the living room and turned on the TV, if he was gonig to be along with no friends and nothing to do, he might as well see what was on that was gory. However, the evening seemed to drain the life out of him, within 15 minutes of watching a guy get his guts blown all over the street by a machine gun, Richie was out like a light.  
  
The next thing Richie knew, he kept hearing a ringing noise, at first he figured it was the alarm clock, so he sunk down on the couch waiting for Duncan to turn it off... Then Richie remembered that the lights were still on in the room, he woke up and checked his watch, 7:20 P.M. Richie then realized the ringing was the telephone, so he went over to answer it.  
  
"Hello?" he yawned.  
  
"Richie!"  
  
It was Jeanie Myers, a friend of Richie's who lived about a mile north and a turn east away from them, Richie could tell by her voice that something was wrong.  
  
"What's the matter, Jeanie?" he asked.  
  
"Richie, I'm so scared...I didn't know who else to call...I was on my way home, then about 3 miles from the bar, the brakes stopped working and the steering wheel locked, so I jumped out of the car and a few seconds later, it ran off the road and went up in flames...Someone must've tampered with the car, and I don't think I can make it back by myself."  
  
Jeanie was explaining everything so quickly, Richie's brain could only keep one thing in mind.  
  
"What street are you on?" Richie asked.  
  
"I'm right outside 113 Lincoln Ave.," she replied.  
  
"I'll be there as soon as possible, you stay put until I get there," Richie told her.  
  
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In about 20 minutes, Richie reached Lincoln Ave., he couldn't see Jeanie anywhere but continued looking, after looking around a few more yards, he saw a yellow glow coming from down the hill. He went over to the edge of the dirt road and saw Jeanie's car in flames still, the distance between the dirt road's edge and the end of the street's road was about 10 feet, so Jeanie was lucky to get out alive, Richie knew how fast she could drive and with the brakes stuck...that thought didn't ease his mind any.  
  
Richie turned and saw a telephone booth, from which he figured Jeanie must've called him, he headed over to it, but halfway across the road he stopped when he heard a familiar voice call his name.  
  
He turned and saw Jeanie run to him, crying, frantic, and anxious to see someone. Richie took her in his arms and tried to relax her so she could talk.  
  
"Did anyone see you after the car crashed?" he asked.  
  
"A couple of people came by earlier, but they headed over to the next road in a hurry and nobody saw me," Jeanie said.  
  
Richie grabbed Jeanie's wrist and started walking back up the road, "Come on."  
  
"Where're we going?" Jeanie asked.  
  
"You are going back home and I am your personal chaperone for the night," Richie told her.  
  
"Richie, I can't thank you enough for coming down here, I'd probably be dead by now if it weren't for you," Jeanie said.  
  
"I highly doubt that," Richie said, "but I'm glad I came too, and if I find the guy who messed with your car, I'll wring his neck."  
  
"Don't make me laugh, it hurts too much," Jeanie said.  
  
"Well, here's your place," Richie told her, "you sure you don't want me to stay with you tonight?"  
  
"Thanks, but my brother's home for the weekend, I think I'll be okay, goodnight Richie," Jeanie said.  
  
"Goodnight," he replied, "now to get my butt back home before Mac thinks I went back on my word again."  
  
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Richie finally got back and realized the lights were on, which obviously meant Duncan and Tessa were back, which meant he had a lot of explaining to do. For a minute, absolute fear paralyzed him, he told Duncan that he wouldn't invite anyone over or leave the house...But then it hit Richie, how could Duncan punish him? He was helping out a friend, and possibly saving her life, there was no way he could punish that. Richie took a deep breath, and started to explain as he headed inside.  
  
"Listen Mac, I know I shouldn't have left, but the thing was I had to go and pick up Jeanie because she had been-"  
  
Suddenly, Richie got attacked from behind when someone grabbed him and choked him, but that only had him worried for a couple of seconds, before someone came out and hit him in the face with a heavy object. Richie's sight blurred and his head felt heavy where he got hit, right before he fell in the street. His eyes went back in his head, he felt blood running down the side of his mouth, and across his forehead. He attempted to get up and try to retaliate, but the second guy hit him in the stomach and therw him back down again. Richie kicked him and the other guy and tried getting up again, but they grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him down on the street before kicking him. He was sure that these guys were going to be the end of him tonight, out of nowhere, up came a third person carrying a board. Richie had no strength in him to fight, he couldn't even get up, he didn't even say anything, but one word kept running across his mind. Mac.  
  
He knew Duncan would kill him for ending up in such a mess like he was, Richie figured now he only had a short while to live, so it didn't make much difference. By the time the three guys finished stomping on him and kicking him, Richie could hardly see anything, but he knew he was beyond a bloody mess. By now, he didn't even want to know what they did to him, but he heard one of them pick up something metal.  
  
"Now for the grand finale," he said.  
  
Richie figured he was about to either get shot or beaten upside the head with something, so he just laid on the street ready to die, pretty much lifeless already. Just when he thought he was about to get it, he heard the metal object drop, and the three people run away. Why, he didn't know, but he figured he was about to find out when he felt someone put their hand on his shoulder. Richie moaned in pain, the job those people had done to him was a pretty accurate one. If they hadn't left when they did, there was no doubt in Richie's mind that he'd be dead by now. Richie forced his eyes open to see who was there, he only managed to get them open half way, he couldn't see any descriptive details about the person, so he couldn't tell if it was anyone he knew.  
  
"Who're you?" he quickly gasped.  
  
"Calm down," the person replied.  
  
The voice was male, stern, and it was anyone's guess if he was out to kill Richie too.  
  
"Who are you? What's going on?" Richie asked.  
  
"Calm down, if you get too excited, the blood will flow faster and you'll die, just calm down," he repeated.  
  
Calm down? Now that Richie had been reminded of that, how was he going to calm down? Being beaten half to death and on the ground probably looking like roadkill, Richie forced himself to calm down. However Richie's heart rate sped up when the man grabbed him and picked him up off the ground.  
  
"Where're you taking me?" Richie asked.  
  
"Quiet!" he warned Richie.  
  
Richie wondered what this person wanted with him, for that matter, he wondered if he knew Mac and came after him because of it. He also found he had another problem, because of all the blows he sustained during the fight, he was drifting in and out of consciousness and could hardly even try to defend himself now, within a few seconds, despite all attempts to avoid it, Richie fell unconscious.  
  
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Richie drifted back into consciousness and in addition to massive pain, he felt a vibration, it was almost too dark to see anything, but he knew he was moving. As his sight adapted to the dark, he realized how much pain his body was in, every inch of him hurt like hell, just opening his eyes or breathing was a challenge for him, but trying to move his body was impossible without him screaming in pain.  
  
"Oh God!" he screamed, "What is this? Am I dead?!"  
  
"Not yet," he heard.  
  
Richie recognzied that voice, it was the same man who was in the streets, only now he sounded serious, and less than pleased to have Richie on his hands.  
  
It was then that Richie realized where he was, he had been put in the back of a jeep, and from the mass vibration he was feeling, he guessed it was going close to 60 miles an hour, but where to he didn't know.  
  
"What's going on? where're we going?" he asked.  
  
"Shutup..."  
  
Richie tried to think, from what he gathered so far, he figured that this guy, whoever he was, wasn't going to kill him if he didn't keep quiet, otherwise he probably would've done it by now, so Richie tried to get some answers without getting slapped around. As Richie was thinking about this, he felt something warm and wet all across the side of his face. Up ahead there was a street light so Richie figured he'd be able to see it. He ran his hand across the side of his face, and when they passed the light, Richie fell speechless and more or less motionless when he saw what was on him...blood.  
  
Richie was in shock, however much time had passed as it did, and he was still bleeding, and the flow was still pretty heavy, it was a wonder he wasn't dead by now...When that thought crossed his mind, he then realized it probably wouldn't be too long until it happened. When he figured that, he went into a condition of true hysterics, and he started to mindlessly mutter a bunch of stuff, all of which unfortunately, the driver understood.  
  
"What's going on? Where's Mac? Where are you taking me?" he asked.  
  
The car stopped, the driver got out, went around the back, opened the door, and slapped Richie across the face as hard as he could. Richie snapped and began crying in pain, all the times he came out of a fight looking like roadkill, he never felt the pain he was now.  
  
The car started again, and the driver stepped on the gas and tore out of the area, seeming to ignore Richie's endless sobbing. Richie was a mixture of angry, upset, scared, confused, and in pain, but right now, that seemed irrelevant to even himself, Richie couldn't understand what was going on, and he didn't know if he was going to live to find out.  
  
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It was around an hour later when the car finally stopped, the driver got out and headed around to the back to get Richie, who was still crying, when he saw the man come around, he started trying to talk over his crying.  
  
"What's going on? Where am I? Why are you doing this to me?" he mindlessly asked.  
  
When Richie saw the man open the door to the back, he froze. There was a dim light in the area, so Richie was able to make out some of the details of his captor, near 6 feet tall, short dark hair, a scar running down the side of his face and dark skin. Richie lowered his head and closed his eyes, he didn't want to see the man anymore, but when the man lifted Richie's head to look him in the eyes, he started crying again, as weak as he was, he couldn't fend for himself, and when the driver grabbed his arms to pull him out of the back, he snapped.  
  
"Damn it!" Richie screamed, "WHO ARE YOU?"  
  
End of chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

Richie felt the man slap him across the face, by now, his vision was beyond blurred and being in the dark, he couldn't really see anything anyway now, he felt the man carry him for some distance, then he heard a door open. His captor had driven for a few miles off course down to a seemingly abandoned house, with Richie hanging over his shoulder, the man carried him up a set of stairs, into a room across the hall. He threw on the lights, the room was in about as fair condition as a prison cell, the walls were full of dry blood stains that went down to the floor, the ceiling was cracked, there was absolutely no heat whatsoever. The man dropped Richie on a bed, also in bad condition, the springs were worn out, the mattress was flat and stained, with only one sheet thrown over it, clearly in no condition for anyone to lay on, there was an old trenchcoat thrown over most of the mattress, Richie was left to bleed on it. The man chained Richie's left wrist and foot to the bedposts, and left him locked in the room, still crying...  
  
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Duncan and Tessa had gotten back and just out of the car when Tessa screamed and Duncan came running up. The windows of the store had been busted, the lights were on, and it looked like someone tore out through the door.  
  
"My God, what is this?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I don't know but..." Duncan went storming in, "Richie! Richie!"  
  
"Do you think he did this?" Tessa asked.  
  
Duncan knew Tessa meant it as if Richie had to get out due to an emergency and panicked.  
  
"I don't think so, he wouldn't do this," Duncan said.  
  
"Do you think someone robbed us?" Tessa asked.  
  
"No, the money's still here, and it doesn't look like anything's been taken," Duncan said.  
  
"But Richie wouldn't bust up the store like this and leave without an explanation," Tessa said.  
  
"Not unless he was urgent to leave or..." Duncan froze.  
  
"What?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I'm going to make a call," Duncan said.  
  
Tessa was worried now, Duncan didn't sound concerned at all, just annoyed, how could he be so calm at a time like this? Richie's life could be at risk and he was acting like nothing happened.  
  
Duncan went over to the phone and dialed a number, and he got an expected comment from the person he was calling.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Connor, what've you done with Richie?" Duncan asked.  
  
"What in the hell are you talking about?" Connor asked, sounding half asleep.  
  
"I mean, Tess and I just got back, he's not here and the windows are destroyed, what'd you do with him?" Duncan asked.  
  
Now Tessa figured it out, a short time ago, Connor stopped by the shop when Duncan wasn't there, and decided to play a trick involving Richie that could've given Duncan a heart attack if it were possible.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, did you just notice he's gone?" Connor asked.  
  
"Yes," Duncan said, "Tessa and I just got back."  
  
"And how long were you gone?" Connor asked.  
  
"About 3 hours," Duncan said.  
  
"Well you know the estimation of how long he could've been gone," Connor said, "are you sure he's not pulling a prank on you?"   
  
"That's why I called you...no he couldn't have, the place is in shambles, yet everything's still here, and if you know something about this that you're not telling me, I'll have your head! Now where is he?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, I've been here for the last 4 hours," Connor said.  
  
"Connor, are you serious?" Duncan asked.  
  
"As a heart attack, Richie's not here, the place is a wreck, what other explanation could there be?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Have you made any enemies lately?" Connor asked.  
  
"Connor, what the hell-------" Duncan just figured out what Connor was saying.  
  
Duncan hung up, "What is it?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Connor doesn't have any idea where he is...he thinks an Immortal may have come by while we were gone, looking for me, and found Richie instead."  
  
"Do you think he's dead?" Tessa asked.  
  
"No, knowing Richie, I know he's alive, but where he is...I don't know," Duncan said, "on the other hand..."  
  
"What?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I'm going to see what I can find, you stay here incase someone calls for ransom, and if they do and I'm not back shortly afterwards, call Connor...he'll know where to find me, and he'll get me back here," Duncan said, "we're going to find him."  
  
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An hour passed, Richie was still crying while being chained to the bed, the noise was trying the nerves of his captor, who was downstairs in the living room. The Immortal buzz hit him twice, he grabbed his sword and headed over to the front door, in came two other Immortals, a man standing 5'10 with brown hair and pale skin and a woman standing 5'11 with dark hair.  
  
"Tony, what gives?" she asked, "I thought we told you we were coming tonight."  
  
"You did, Tanya," he put his sword away, "but what with all the other Immortals around here, it's hard to tell who's coming."  
  
"Speaking of who's coming," the other man said, "who is here?"  
  
"Hard to say, I didn't get a name," Tony said.  
  
"Man or woman?"   
  
"Man, Frank...after tonight I don't know what he's going to be," Tony said.  
  
"What happened?" Tanya asked.  
  
"I found this kid outside an antique store with half the Lezarro Gang beating on him, ready to kill him...of course he's still pre-Immortal, so I got rid of them before they killed him," Tony said.  
  
"What?" Frank asked.  
  
"I'm guessing this kid's around 16, 17 at the most...too young to be part of the Game, anyway, I tried doing him a favor, and guess how he repays me?" Tony asked.  
  
Tanya listened to Richie's cries from the foot of the stairs, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"Damn me if I know," Tony said.  
  
"How long as he been like that?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Since about ten," Tony guessed.  
  
"Ten!?" Tanya asked, "he's been up there crying for an hour and you haven't gone up to see what's wrong with him?"  
  
"He's been crying since about halfway here, he's only been up there for an hour," Tony pointed out.  
  
"What'd you do when you were on the road?" Frank asked.  
  
"Pulled over a couple of times and tried slapping some sense into him before we got here," Tony said, "no luck."  
  
"No shit," Tanya said, "what kind of condition did you say he was in when you found him?"   
  
"I'm guessing about 3 feet from death's door," Tony said.  
  
"And you slapped him when he still has the injuries, no wonder he's crying, what room is he in?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Find out for yourself," Tony replied.  
  
Tanya and Frank headed up the stairs and across the hall and into the room, they were both shocked when they saw Richie.  
  
"Frank, look at him...it's a wonder he's still alive...Frank."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Get the keys, we're moving him to another room," Tanya said, picking up the chain that was connected to the cuff on Richie's wrist.  
  
Frank left the room, Tanya stayed by Richie and tried to comfort him, but it appeared that his mind was beyond reach, other than the obvious hurt on his face, Richie appeared near dead and emotionless.  
  
"Look at me," she said, placing Richie's face in her hands.  
  
Richie just looked away and continued crying, she tried again, this time looking straight in his eyes, "look at me kid...who are you?"  
  
Richie closed his eyes and turned away, Tanya felt his body, near ice cold, Frank returned with the keys, Tanya unshackled Richie's wrist and foot, she and Frank moved Richie into another room, one that looked half-way decent. Richie felt an obvious warmth in the room, it seemed slightly above room temperature, the room was clean, and the bed they sat him on was tolerable. Tanya sat down beside Richie, removed his jacket and slowly started removing his shirt.  
  
"What're you doing?" Frank asked.  
  
"Shutup and get a rag, we can't leave him a bloody mess all night," Tanya said.  
  
Frank went into the bathroom and turned on the light while he dug around in the cabinet for a rag.  
  
"Inevitabely, we're going to find out who he is...and seeing as how he's a pre-Immortal, he must belong to someone," Tanya said.  
  
"He's not an animal, Tanya, he just doesn't know what he is yet," Frank told her.  
  
"True, being pre-Immortal, he must belong to someone who can protect him, who I don't know...where'd Tony say he found him?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Outside an antique shop somewhere," Frank said.  
  
"Hmph," Tanya replied as she lifted Richie's shirt off over his head, "there's a string of antique stores in the area...doesn't even mean anything..."  
  
"What about what he said earlier? He found half the Lezarro gang beating him to death...where do they usually go?" Frank asked.  
  
"Anywhere they can commit a felony," Tanya said.  
  
Frank returned with a damp rag, Tanya held Richie with one arm and pressed the rag against some of his wounds. Richie started twitching no doubt out of pain and started crying louder.  
  
"Quiet kid," Tanya said, "this is better than it could've been."  
  
"I don't think he can hear you, Tanya," Frank said.  
  
"I know that," Tanya said, "seems his mind's somewhere else right now...I'm sure within time he'll come around, maybe then we can find out who he is...maybe he can be of some use to us."  
  
"I doubt it, he doesn't even know he's an Immortal, odds are, he doesn't even know what one is," Frank replied.  
  
Tanya moved the rag and pressed it against a large gash on his back, "no doubt some of this is Tony's work...he said he only slapped this kid around a couple of times, but it's obvious he did more than that."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Frank asked.  
  
"Go downstairs and make sure Tony doesn't try to leave...I want to have a word with him about this boy in a minute," Tanya said.  
  
After the bleeding on some of Richie's main wounds slowed down to a near full stop, Tanya laid Richie down in the bed and pulled the covers up to his shoulders, then she closed the door and went downstairs.  
  
"What in the hell were you thinking, locking him in that room?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Now look," Tony approached her.  
  
"No," Tanya hit Tony in the stomach, "I don't want to hear your excuses, and don't you come near me until you give me an answer...what was he doing in that room?"  
  
"Shit, Tanya, I don't know who the hell the kid is, he could belong to anybody, that room is where we keep prisoners and enemies, as far as I'm concerned, he's both," Tony said.  
  
"We don't know who he is, where he's from, or who he belongs to, meaning he could be on our side," Tanya said.  
  
"It doesn't matter, I'm not about to find out...at first when I saw him, I figured what anybody would...give this kid the benefit of the doubt and let him live...now he's just getting on my freakin' nerves with all that crying!" Tony said.  
  
"Did you see him? Did you look at the boy? It's no wonder he's crying, after what the Lezarro boys did to him, and you were obviously no help," Tanya said.  
  
"Will you shut up with that?" Tony asked, "it's not my fault he's up there, and it ain't my fault he looks like he should be in a pinebox."  
  
"It IS your fault however that he has gashes going down his back and shoulders...what the hell did you do to him?" Frank asked.  
  
"I thought we agreed we weren't going to argue about this," Tony said.  
  
"WE never agreed on anything, now start talking!" Tanya said.  
  
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"Nobody's talking...no one knows whether or not Richie left, and they also don't know where he could be," Duncan sighed, after returning with no success.  
  
"Who would've taken him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Would isn't a choice anymore, it's a matter of who did...If Richie had done this himself, he would've come back by now," Duncan said.  
  
"But what if he did this by himself because he had to escape someone, and what if they got him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Tessa, I know Richie a little too well to consider that...I just can't think who could've gotten to him...every known enemy who could even remotely be closeby is dead...off top my head, I can't think of anyone who could've come here...but then again, after 400 years, enemies become about as easy to remember as where someone was 20 years ago," Duncan said.  
  
The Immortal buzz hit Duncan, he drew out his katana as he heard someone enter the place.  
  
"Duncan, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Connor asked.  
  
"This is no time for jokes, Connor, we can't find Richie anywhere," Duncan said.  
  
"How long as he been missing?" Connor asked.  
  
"We don't know," Tessa replied.  
  
"Why'd you call him?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I didn't call him!" Tessa responded.  
  
"After hearing he was gone, I came myself, have you been looking around town?" Connor asked.  
  
"Yes!" Duncan replied, "Everywhere from here to Thunder Road."  
  
"That's the problem, you've only been looking in a 5 mile radius, all in the west side of town, let me go out, check the east side, see if I can find him," Connor said.  
  
"Excuse me," Jeanie came in the front door.  
  
"Who're you?" Connor asked.  
  
"That's Jeanie Myers, a friend of Richie's," Tessa said, "I'm afraid you came at a bad time..."  
  
"Let me guess...Richie's not here," Jeanie said.  
  
"Yes, how'd you know?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I heard that the Lezarro gang was on the loose tonight, and I was afraid they got him on the way back here," Jeanie said.  
  
"Back here from where?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Nevermind...did you see him tonight?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yes, you see he...I guess he didn't get a chance to tell you...look, I know it's a stab in the dark, but have you checked Lincoln Avenue?" Jeanie asked.  
  
"No, why?" Duncan asked.  
  
"What difference does it make, Duncan? We have to find the boy, we better start looking, Tessa, you stay here incase someone calls," Connor said.  
  
"And I'll..." Jeanie started.  
  
"Oh no you don't, you stay here too! It's too dangerous to have you out there," Duncan told her, "the last thing we need is 2 missing people."  
  
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It was going on eleven, Tanya noticed that there was something different, Richie had quieted down, meaning either he had finally calmed down or something was wrong, so she went up to check on him... Frank and Tony were passed out in the living room, so they were beyond help, Tanya went in the room and found Richie was awake, and obviously scared.  
  
"Are you allright?" she asked.  
  
Richie jumped when he heard her, "who are you?"  
  
Richie's vision was a bit blurred at first, then things came into focus, and he saw a woman looking in around her mid 20s standing in the doorway, she came up to him and knelt down to his current height.  
  
"Calm down, you've had an accident," she said.  
  
"Who are you?" Richie asked, becoming rather tense.  
  
"Relax, how are you feeling?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Awful...I think I'm going to be sick," Richie slowly replied.  
  
"You're going to be fine," she told him.  
  
"No, really...I don't want...."  
  
"Calm down, breathe slowly, it might pass," Tanya advised him.  
  
Tanya sat at the foot of the bed and held Richie close, but the sick feeling stayed with him, he didn't know where he was, or even what was going on. A few minutes later, Tanya realized Richie was crying again.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
However, it seemed that Richie's mind was somewhere else again, he kept repeating, "I want Mac...I have to get to Mac..."  
  
"Calm down, calm down, don't start crying again," Tanya said, "now let's start with a simple question...who are you?"  
  
It seemed that Richie completely ignored her question, instead, he asked her, "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Tanya Ness, you are?"  
  
"You're an Immortal," he realized.  
  
"How did you know?" Tanya asked.  
  
"I just know...it only makes sense," Richie replied, "I don't know how but it makes sense, only Mac's ever treated me like this..."  
  
When Richie brought up Duncan, he cried harder.  
  
"Is he someone you tried escaping from?" Tanya asked, trying to get some answers from Richie.  
  
"No...no...I want Mac, where is he? What are you doing to me?"  
  
It seemed that Richie's mind was somewhere else again, Tanya couldn't get anywhere with him.  
  
"What is this?" she heard.  
  
Panicked, Tanya turned around to see Tony standing in the doorway.  
  
"Can you help me with him?" Tanya asked.  
  
Tony walked over to the bed and picked Richie off the bed, "where to?"  
  
"Downstairs on the couch, he's starting to talk, but I can't understand much of anything he says," Tanya said, "what woke you up?"  
  
"The sound of him bawling, and you yakking...so what's he say?" Tony asked as he took Richie down the stairs with Tanya following.  
  
"Well, somehow he knows we're Immortals, although he doesn't seem to know he's one, and he keeps mentioning someone named 'Mac'...it doesn't ring a bell to me...how bout you?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Off top my head no...might have to make a few calls...now has this brat said anything about who he is yet?" Tony asked as he put Richie on the couch.  
  
"No...that's one thing he keeps avoiding," Tanya said, "he doesn't look like anyone I know...but then again, I only got here 2 days ago...did he say anything to you?"  
  
"Yeah, he did," Tony sarcastically replied, "on the way over here, he snapped, muttering a bunch of stuff like 'What's going on? Where we going? Where you taking me?' Then he started muttering on about that guy Mac again, whoever the hell he is."  
  
"Then you slapped him and he started crying...am I right?" Tanya asked.  
  
"So what?" Tony asked.  
  
"This kid could be very useful to us, but he's not going to be any good as a total hysterics case," Tanya said.  
  
"We got plans allright, but we can't risk having him screw them up," Tony replied.  
  
"Well unless we can find out who he is, and who this guy Mac is, we don't know if he can even be considered a risk," Tanya said.  
  
Tanya looked over at the boy, who was somewhere between unconscious and a hysterics case, she turned and looked back at Tony, "I say if we don't find out who he belongs to, we take him with us...he could be handy to have around."  
  
Tony headed into the other room to make some calls, he could see that oddly enough, Tanya was starting to become fond of the boy, and no doubt for her own plans. He didn't like the idea in the first place of having him on his hands, but it looked like Tony was dealing with more than he bargained for at the moment. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Connor and Duncan returned with grim looks on their faces, Tessa and Jeanie knew what it meant.  
  
"You couldn't find him," Jeanie said.  
  
"No, we went everywhere we could think to look for him...No one's seen him, no one's heard from him, I don't know what we're going to do now," Connor said.  
  
"Did anyone call while we were gone?" Duncan asked.  
  
"No," Tessa replied, "Duncan, I'm worried, what happens if we don't find him?"  
  
"Don't think like that Tess, we'll find him," Duncan said.  
  
"How can you be so sure? We don't know where he is, we don't know what happened, we don't even know if he's alive still," Tessa said.  
  
"Calm down, Tessa, we'll find him, we have to," Duncan told her, "he's alive, and he's out there somewhere, and we're going to find him."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Tanya checked the time, 11:30, Tony had been making calls to some of his friends, seeing if they had any idea who the boy was, or if they knew anything about 'Mac'. Frank was beyond drunk and passed out in a chair in the den, Tanya took out some files she kept with her, they were records of what had happened recently, the last thing she'd written down was one reading: November 14th, 1992, I've arrived in Seacouver due to Tony's requests, I have brought Frank Getty with me as part of his request. We've been following Aries Gallucio for the past 7 months in order to find out his knowledge on Johnny Callaghan, an Immortal who we lost 150 years ago...We won't let him slip through the cracks again.  
  
Tanya took a pen out of her pocket and started writing again.  
  
November 16th, 1992, I'm afraid we have our work cut out for us, in addition to hunting down Aries Gallucio, we have come across a pre-Immortal teenager...he seems to know nothing of what he is, yet he knows what we are...It appears he's in a stage of schizophrenia, his mind seems to leave him constantly. Tony explained that he was beaten by a local gang, but I can clearly see he added to it. We have no knowledge of who this boy is, and he currently doesn't seem to know himself...He keeps mentioning someone called 'Mac', whoever he is...we're hoping to find out soon, there is a chance that he might have some information on Gallucio or Callaghan...but until his mind returns to him, we cannot be sure of anything.  
  
Tanya heard Tony hang up and he entered the room.  
  
"Well?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Nothing, I called everybody I know...no one even remotely sounds like that guy 'Mac'," Tony said, "is he talking?"  
  
"No, he's basically been out of it," Tanya replied.  
  
"If we could find out who he is...maybe we'd get somewhere," Tony thought.  
  
"Know anybody else to call?" Tanya asked.  
  
"No...at least not now...I don't think he'll be going anywhere soon...I'm going to bed...and maybe I'll see you in the morning, providing Johnny Callaghan don't come around here in the middle of the night," Tony said.  
  
Tony headed upstairs, then there was a door slam, Tanya turned to Frank, who was coming around, and must've still been drunk, at least she figured, because he had a dumb grin on his face.  
  
"Go on," she said.  
  
Frank jumped out of the chair and headed upstairs as well, then she heard another door slam, she headed over to the couch and looked down at Richie, who seemed to be coming around himself.  
  
"How are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Compared to what?" Richie asked, "I feel like I got hit by a truck."  
  
"You did, a truck named Tony Bonpensiero," Tanya replied, "other than that, how are you?"  
  
Richie rubbed his temple and muttered a bunch of stuff to himself, Tanya couldn't understand what he was saying, but she knew what was coming next, she just didn't see it in time. Richie jumped off the couch, pinned her against the wall and started choking her, in return, Tanya sent one simple blow to Richie's stomach, knocking him on the ground. Richie rolled over on his side and started moaning in pain, Tanya headed over to him and helped him up.  
  
"You haven't seen pain yet, and unless you want to, I strongly advise you not to try that stunt again," she said.  
  
She set Richie down on the couch again, but he wasn't taking it likely, he grabbed her arm to jerk her down and try to get some answers, but she had in her hand a hypodermic needle and stuck him with it, Richie let out a final 'oof' as he lost consciousness.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"He did what?" Tony asked.  
  
They had heard the noise from upstairs and decided to see what the problem was, Tanya explained how Richie tried to attack her twice and failed.  
  
"I told you already, first he choked me, then he tried breaking my arm," Tanya responded, "shall I explain it a third time or do you get it now?"  
  
"What the hell is wrong with that thing? Is he some kind of psycho? Or is he just being plain stupid?" Tony asked.  
  
"He's not stupid, and he seems pretty sane to me, just battling for his life, or at least, that's what he thinks it is," Tanya said.  
  
"I told you it wouldn't be worth taking him with us, now you listen? Now that he tried attacking you, you listen? What kind of an idiot are you?" Tony asked.  
  
"Have you tried asking the boy?" Frank asked.  
  
"What?" Tony asked.  
  
"I said have you tried-"  
  
"We heard you the first time...now what the hell do you mean?" Tony asked.  
  
"You want to find out who he is, and who he belongs to, have you tried asking him?" Frank asked.  
  
"Are you nuts? Look at him Frank, he couldn't even answer my question of who he was...you really think you can get him to tell you anything?" Tanya asked.  
  
"We'll see," Frank headed over to the couch and leaned over the side, looking at Richie, "hey...hey boy, can you hear me?"  
  
"Yes-" Richie replied in a calmer voice.  
  
"Good, good, I need you to answer a couple of questions...First of all...who are you?" Frank asked.  
  
"-Richie Ryan..."  
  
"Good, that's very good, we're making some progress," Frank said, "now, who do you belong to?"  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"Your owner...uh...who do you live with?" Frank tried again.  
  
"...D-Duncan MacLeod..." Richie replied.  
  
Tanya picked up the phone book and looked to see if Duncan was listed in the area.  
  
"Is he near?" Frank asked.  
  
"Y--Yes..." Richie answered.  
  
"Very good...you've answered my questions now, but we may have to learn more from you later on," Frank said.  
  
"Hey, what the hell was that?" Tony asked.  
  
"If you want answers, you have to get them from the subconscious mind...incase you're forgetting, I spent 40 years practicing hypnotism," Frank replied.  
  
"Duncan MacLeod...here it is," Tanya said.  
  
"Good, good, I think I'll give this guy a call, see if he's still interested in the boy," Tony said.  
  
Tony went to make another call, Tanya headed over to Richie, who was currently conscious, Tanya leaned over and kissed him...After a few seconds, Richie was pushing at her and screaming, he finally pushed her off of him, Tanya retaliated and slapped him. Richie lowered his head and started crying and mumbling apologies.  
  
"Do you always do this with men you like?" Frank asked, "that's your problem, everytime you meet a younger guy, you fall for him."  
  
"Shutup, I didn't fall for him, I just had plans for him, now that we know he can't be of any help, I thought I'd say goodbye," Tanya said.  
  
"Don't get too friendly, you heard Tony, he's going to see if that guy MacLeod still wants him around," Frank told her.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
It was near 2 in the morning, Jeanie had gone home for the night incase she heard anything, but Duncan, Tessa, and Connor were too worried to sleep, everyone's hearts jumped in their throats when the phone rang, Duncan was the first one up, so he answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Duncan MacLeod?"  
  
"Yes...who is this?"  
  
"That's not relevant, at least not now...look, do you know a punk kid named Richie Ryan?" Tony asked.  
  
"Richie......you lay a hand on him I'll have your head for this, do you understand?" Duncan barked.  
  
"Calm down, I ain't done nothing to the kid...yet," Tony said, "from what I've been able to make out, he lives with you, right?"  
  
"Why do you want to know?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Because I got him, and I'm telling you, if you want him, meet me outside Lincoln Avenue, you got it?" Tony asked.  
  
"What time?" Duncan asked.  
  
"What time can you get there?" Tony asked.  
  
"Give me the damn time, and I'll get there!" Duncan exploded.  
  
"Fine, meet me there in half an hour," Tony said.  
  
Duncan slammed down the phone and went to get his coat.  
  
"Duncan, what is it? What's going on?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Someone called, telling me where to meet him, if I heard correctly, I head over to Lincoln Avenue, and he brings Richie," Duncan said.  
  
"Duncan, with all due respect, I think you're setting yourself up, what if it's a trap?" Connor asked.  
  
"That's a risk I have to take, Connor, I can't take any chances, and if you're not coming-"  
  
"I never said anything about not going...I just want to make sure we're in sync here, we go over there, and he brings Richie with him?" Connor asked.  
  
"That's what he said," Duncan replied.  
  
"Fine, you get the kid, I get this guy's head, and we'll meet back here," Connor said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Richie woke up due to some strong vibrations, he realized he was in the back of the jeep again, this time he wasn't in excruciating pain, but he knew there was something wrong. Richie knew right off hand that his hands were tied behind his back, when he tried to sit up and ask where he was being taken, he found out he'd been gagged.  
  
"So...not much to say now, have you?" Tony asked, looking at the rear view mirror.  
  
Richie tried talking, but it was muffled by the gag, but Tony knew he was just trying to be smart.  
  
"Eh shutup, your ol' man will have to put up with you after tonight," Tony said.  
  
It then hit Richie how he got into this mess in the first place, when he got back to the antique store, he thought Duncan was already back, and going to kill him for leaving...Richie'd be dead and buried before Duncan was truly done with him for this! Now Richie was wondering what would be worse, remaining a hostage, or facing Mac...  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Well, here we are," Duncan got out of the car, "remember what I said..."  
  
"Stay here for a few seconds, then follow incase you need help getting the kid out of here, got it," Connor said.  
  
Duncan went ahead, Tony still had a few minutes to show, then Duncan faced the fact that he had Richie held his captive for the last several hours, there was no telling what could've happened.  
  
[If it turns out he's laid a hand on the boy, I swear I'll-] Duncan's thought was cut short when the Immortal buzz hit him. Up came Tony with Richie being jerked by his collar like an animal, they were too far away for Duncan to get a good look at them, but he knew there was something wrong with Richie.  
  
"Duncan MacLeod I presume?" Tony asked.  
  
"What do you want?" Duncan asked, ready to attack within a moment's notice.  
  
"Nothing, I just want to make one thing clear," Tony replied.  
  
"What's that?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Catch." Tony grabbed Richie and threw him over to Duncan.  
  
Duncan caught Richie and removed the gag, dizzy and exhausted, Richie could only say one thing before he passed out, "Mac....."  
  
Duncan looked up only to find Tony was gone, as was the Immortal buzz...  
  
At least one of them was, he still had a 165 pound teenaged pre-Immortal in his arms, who seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. Up came Connor, only to be shocked by the same sight.  
  
"What happened?" Connor asked.  
  
Richie started gasping and crying, muttering "I'm sorry...Mac...I'm sorry..."  
  
Duncan reached around his back and untied his hands, Richie locked his arms around Duncan and continued to mutter apologies.  
  
"He must be delirious," Connor thought.  
  
"Come on, help me get him to the car," Duncan said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Is he allright? What happened?" Tessa asked.  
  
"We can't be too sure since we only found where he was at-"  
  
"No Connor, not that, what happened when you went to get him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen," Duncan said, "he came up with Richie gagged and with his hands tied behind his back...before I know it, he throws Richie my way, and then he's gone."  
  
"And next thing we knew, the kid was acting like this," Connor said.  
  
"Richie, you poor thing!" Tessa threw her arms around Richie and tears ran from her eyes, they got Richie back.  
  
"Well, just don't expect a happy reunion soon, Tessa, Richie might be out of it for a while, we have no idea what that guy did to him," Connor said, "I wouldn't recommend putting him in his room tonight."  
  
"Why?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Because, as delusional as he is, he may try to escape, you may not be able to hear him from your room," Connor said.  
  
"He'll stay on the couch," Duncan decided, "he's not going anywhere and I'll see to it."  
  
"What are you going to do? Watch him sleep all night?" Connor asked.  
  
"If I have to, Richie's my responsibility, and this doesn't make any difference," Duncan said.  
  
The decision stood final, Tessa got some bedding out of the closet, and Duncan put the boy down and pulled the sheet up to his shoulders.  
  
"Look Duncan, I don't think when the boy comes to, he's gonna want to see me first thing, so I think I'll leave," Connor said.  
  
"By the way, Connor, Duncan didn't tell me why you were in Seacouver," Tessa realized.  
  
"Oh...I could've sworn I told you...I've been looking for a guy named Johnny Callaghan," Connor said.  
  
"Immortal," Duncan guessed.  
  
"Do you know any other kind?" Connor asked, "anyway, this guy's about 300, and about a century and a half ago, we got into a fight, he almost had me but he failed...so now I'm looking to get my revenge on him...and I got a hunch that's the same reason that schmuk was in town too..."  
  
"Well thank you for coming by earlier and helping us get Richie back," Tessa said, "he's certainly grown on us..."  
  
"Seeing what you've gone through tonight, I'm not going to say anything," Connor headed over to the door, "goodbye Duncan."  
  
"You mean goodnight," Duncan replied.  
  
"No, I mean goodbye, I'm leaving for Seattle tomorrow, I hear that's where Johnny Callaghan's heading," Connor said.  
  
Connor headed out and left.  
  
"Well, now that Connor's gone, don't you think you should be turning in?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I'm staying here with you tonight," Tessa said.  
  
"Tess, there's no need for that...I'm going to be staying with Richie tonight, he'll be fine," Duncan assured her.  
  
"Duncan, you can't be sure of that," Tessa said.  
  
"Tess...don't worry, he's back, he's here, he's exhausted, he needs to get some rest, and for that matter, so do you," Duncan told her.  
  
After discussing it a few times, Tessa agreed and went on to bed, but Duncan stayed in a chair by the couch so he could watch Richie for the night.  
  
"It's good to have you back, Rich," he said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Duncan woke up due to a change he noticed, at first he couldn't figure out what was wrong, until he turned and saw that Richie was gone. After a short and frantic search, he came to the conclusion that Richie was nowhere in the building. Tessa came out of the bedroom when she saw Duncan throwing on his coat.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Richie's gone!" Duncan said.  
  
"You think someone got him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"No, I know him better than that, I think I know where to look too," Duncan said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Duncan went down the dirt path near the river, it was obvious he was getting close when the buzz hit him. After a little while, he saw Richie ahead a few yards. Duncan got as close to him as he could without Richie noticing he was behind him, then he slammed him on the ground, pretty soon he realized that he had the boy begging for mercy.  
  
"Mac...get off me please!" he cried.  
  
Duncan jumped up and helped Richie back on his feet, "Richie I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"  
  
"No."  
  
But Duncan could tell Richie was lying.  
  
"What happened?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I-----I was leaving because I didn't want to face you," Richie said.  
  
"What?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Mac...I...I didn't want to get you angry last night...but just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I screwed up again anyway," Richie started.  
  
"Calm down, calm down..." Duncan could tell Richie was on the verge of hysteria, "now slow down...what happened?"  
  
"I..." Richie finally broke down and started explaining, "I knew I'd get in trouble if I left after begging you to let me stay at home...but an hour after you left, Jeanie called and she was stuck out on Lincoln Avenue, and she needed someone to see her home...and after that I was coming right back, honest I was...but then"  
  
"Hold it, hold it!" Duncan said, "You thought I'd be mad if you left for that?"  
  
"Mac...I didn't have a stroke and I never hit my head, my memory's perfect, remember the last 2 times I let you down? I begged you to let me stay at home...and I went back on my word after promising I wouldn't leave," Richie said.  
  
"Those 2 times were minor things, I was glad to overlook them and trust you," Duncan said.  
  
"Yeah, you trusted me, and I screwed up again!" Richie told him.  
  
"Richie, you didn't screw up, you couldn't even have seen this coming...I think you were lucky," Duncan said.  
  
"What?" Richie asked.  
  
"You weren't there when the Lezarro gang broke in, and I find that to be good...otherwise, you may have been there and wound up in a worse position than you were," Duncan said.  
  
"Mac...those guys were ready to kill me, they were about to put me out of my misery!" Richie told him, "but they didn't..."  
  
"He stopped them?" Richie knew by 'he', Duncan was referring to his captor.  
  
"I guess...yeah...but I didn't see it...that guy seemed like a multiple-personality case to me...first he acted like he didn't want me to die...then the next thing I know, the guy's got me stuck in the back of his jeep bleeding, only to stop every so often and slap the hell out of me!" Richie said, "then, by the time he got off course to this place, he slapped me again, and left me in a room that resembled a cell in prison...it was 10 below, I was in massive pain, he chained me to a bed that is so horrible, he put down a trenchcoat for me to bleed on, and he left me up there screaming for an hour!" Richie said.  
  
"What?" Duncan couldn't believe what he'd just heard.  
  
"Then the next thing I know, there's this lady unchaining me...before she had her flunky move me to a more...domestic room...then she started washing most of the blood off me, then she left me alone for a while...'course that didn't last long cuz soon she came in and started asking me a bunch of questions...I don't know how, but I knew she was Immortal, there was just something about her...Anyway I started going a little crazy around that time...Then that gorilla came in the room and took me downstairs to the couch...Then she started talking again, at that time I snapped. I tried choking her, she punched me, then she stuck me with a tranqulizer...then sometime later...this is gonna sound nuts but she kissed me, I didn't like it, I tried pushing her away, but she slapped me, the next thing I knew, I wound up gagged with my hands tied behind my back in the jeep again...you know what happened after that," Richie said.  
  
"And after a night of hell, you still thought I'd be mad at you?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Hey, I left the place, I came back to get the crap kicked out of me, I couldn't blame you if you did," Richie said, "I tried to get back before you guys did, I really didn't plan on leaving...but after Jeanie called, and-"  
  
"Slow down...I get it, but why leave?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well, after last night, I was wondering which would be worse, if I stayed with them, or went back to you...I figured, either way I'm in for hell, I was expecting you to tear me apart when that guy threw me your way, the rest of the night I felt like I was walking on eggshells, then when I woke up and you saw next to the couch I figured if I don't get out of here and fast, this guy's gonna kill me!" Richie said.  
  
"Richie, that's ridiculous," Duncan said.  
  
"I know," Richie replied, "On the way out...I saw what happened to the store..."  
  
"Well, the windows were easy to repair...the rest of it will take a while, nothing compared to if we lost you though," Duncan said.  
  
"Surely you can't be serious," Richie said.  
  
"I am," Duncan replied, "I can replace anything lost in the store, I can't replace you...last night when we found you were missing, we went crazy, at first, I thought it was Connor up to his jokes again."  
  
"Connor was here?" Richie asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's been in Seacouver while trying to track down an Immortal named Johnny Callaghan, he's leaving today to find him...remember seeing him last night?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Not really...some stuff was a blur last night," Richie said.  
  
"Richie, you know I care about you, and after last night, even though you went through absolute hell, I'm going to do to you what my father did to me," Duncan said.  
  
Uhoh, that was what Richie had been expecting, he covered his head with his arms and closed his eyes, he didn't want to see what Duncan was going to do to him, he expected to get the life beaten out of him again at any second, he jumped when he felt a pull at his arm. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw that Duncan had a concerned look on his face, as well as a tight grip on Richie's arm.  
  
"Come on," he said, "I won't be letting you out of my sight for a while..."  
  
Once he was convinced that the Immortal wasn't going to hurt him, Richie went with him back home.  
  
End of chapter 3 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
"Duncan, what happened?" Tessa asked.  
  
"It's allright, I found him down by the river," Duncan answered.  
  
"How did you know to look for him there?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Easy, that's where he went the last time he ran away," Duncan said.  
  
"When did he run away last?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Well it was a couple of weeks ago, and you were------"  
  
"I was what?" Tessa asked.  
  
"You weren't here at the time, in any case, it wasn't really anything to get excited over, just a simple feud in which he took the outcome the wrong way...anyway, he's back here, he's fine, don't worry about him," Duncan told her.  
  
"Don't worry about him?" Tessa repeated, "Duncan, after what happened last night, and especially after what you just told me...I think I have a right to worry."  
  
Then it just hit Tessa that Duncan would somehow see what Richie did as suitable for a punishment.  
  
"What did you say to him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Same thing my father told me when I was 13 and almost got killed," Duncan joked.  
  
"Duncan!" Tessa said.  
  
"Well...more or less it's true," Duncan said.  
  
"Well what did he do?" Tessa asked.  
  
"In short, he gave me a warning that I wouldn't be getting away from him anytime soon," Duncan replied.  
  
"How did he take that?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I'd say he took it rather well," Duncan said, "of course now that we're back here, I'm not sure if he's up for it."  
  
"Duncan..."  
  
"Don't worry Tess, I'm going to keep my eye on him," Duncan said.  
  
"Well I'm not going anywhere then," Tessa told him.  
  
"Tess!" Duncan said, "I already told you, there's no need for you to stay here, I'm going to be watching Richie, no reason for you to stay home..."  
  
Tessa had arranged a reunion with her first cousin a couple of weeks ago, she agreed to meet her in South Carolina, but due to what she'd just heard, she was having second thoughts about going.  
  
"Duncan, I don't feel comfortable with leaving you two here alone, especially after what happened to Richie," Tessa said.  
  
"Tess! Look, how many times am I going to have to explain that we'll be fine?" Duncan asked.  
  
Tessa jumped when she felt someone grab her shoulders, she turned around to see it was Richie, who was laughing through the side of his mouth.  
  
"Don't worry about me Tess, I'll be fine...and I'll keep an eye on Mac too," he said.  
  
"Very funny...I guess it's no use arguing with both of you....allright, I'll go, I just hope when I return you are still alive," Tessa told them.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Tess, I'm not going anywhere," Richie assured her.  
  
"That's good to know Richie, but actually I was talking to Duncan," Tessa laughed.  
  
It was a thin scrap of humor in the room at the time, and it quickly died down around when Tessa left.  
  
"Mac...I'm sorry that I had to put you through this," Richie said.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to be put through this, Richie...I don't mind going through hell on Earth by myself, but when someone like you or Tessa is involved...then it bothers me."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
Duncan checked the time, 4:13 P.M., a slight rainstorm had built up into a downpour, it was obvious that no one would be going anywhere anytime soon. Duncan looked over at Richie who was passed out on the sofa, for the first time in almost 14 hours, Richie looked relieved. He wasn't the only one, Duncan was glad Richie was back where he could keep an eye on him to make sure it didn't happen again. Suddenly, the Immortal buzz hit him, he picked up his katana and headed over to the door. It swung open, only to reveal Connor standing in the doorway.  
  
"Hello Duncan," he said.  
  
"I thought you were in Seattle looking for Johnny Callaghan," Duncan said.  
  
"Oh...he's dead, anyway, I was about to head to Seattle when I ran into that guy from last night," Connor started.  
  
"What? You mean-"  
  
"Exactly...the same guy who told us where to find Richie," Connor replied.  
  
"What happened?" Duncan asked, "Is he dead too?"  
  
"No, he got away again...but not before explaining something to me," Connor said.  
  
"What?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Where's the kid?" Connor asked.  
  
"Richie?" Duncan asked, "he's...asleep...why?"  
  
"Nothing, just making sure...anyway, this guy...Tony Bonpensiero...he made it clear that he had no intention of even coming in contact with Richie...fortunately for him however, Tony is familiar with the Lezarro gang since he used to be a member before he was blackballed and thrown out...He knew what they were capable of doing, and when he was close enough, he knew that there was an Immortal nearby and in trouble so he got there with little time to spare...he became an Immortal at the age of 19, not exactly an age you'd recommend to be part of the Game at...so he figured he'd be doing Richie a favor if he could get him to hold on long enough to pull through and live," Connor started.  
  
"Go on," Duncan said.  
  
"When he passed out, Tony knew he couldn't take him to a hospital because people would ask too many questions, and since he didn't know he lives with you, he decided to take him back to the place where he was currently staying...However, he has a short temper, so when Richie came to and started asking questions, he slapped him...Anyway-"  
  
"Wait a minute, what was he doing in Seacouver in the first place?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Same thing as me...only he and 2 of his friends were looking for Callaghan's Watcher...anyway, by now he was starting to wonder if Richie did die and become Immortal, would he be like one of us, or like one of them...so he kept him chained to a bed in one room until the verdict was final...However, when the other 2 came by, one of them didn't take too likely to what he did with Richie and had him moved...they thought Richie might be of some help to them when they tried to find Callaghan's Watcher, but after they thought he went schizo, they couldn't chance it and tried to find out who he was and...When Tony got around to explaining that, the other two showed up, the lady said that at some point he started apologizing for something?"  
  
"He's been doing a lot of that lately," Duncan said, "why, I can't exactly be sure...which reminds me, Richie said something about her injecting him with a tranquilizer, any idea about that?"  
  
"Yeah, she said that she always keeps one on her, when Richie started acting strangely, she slipped it through the sleeve of her jacket to her reach and gave it to him," Connor said.  
  
"Hold on, Richie told me that last night they asked him who his 'owner' was, did they say anything about that?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yeah, they figured since he's a pre-Immortal, then he must live with an Immortal who could keep an eye on him, like an owner, or master or whatever the hell you wish to call it," Connor said, "although there is something I'd like to know...they said that Richie knew they were Immortal...how?"  
  
"I can honestly say I don't know...I'm not even sure he knows, after last night, I'm surprised he's able to explain half the things he has so far...wait a minute, wait a minute Connor, something sounds screwy here..." Duncan said, "why didn't this guy try to take your head?"  
  
"Well when we first noticed each other...we both made it clear that we were only looking for Johnny Callaghan at the time...so then he asked me what I knew about him, after telling him, I began to question a lot of what happened last night, it's a long, drawn out thing that I'd rather discuss with you in another century or so, so if you don't mind..."  
  
"Hold it!" Ducnan snagged Connor as he swept past him heading for the door, "What happened to Callaghan?"  
  
"Tony got to him first, turns out he was in Seacouver the whole time, just hiding out...he got him a few hours ago," Connor said, "now if you'll excuse me, I have plans to make, and you have a 17-year-old to watch, so long..."  
  
Connor was out the door before Duncan could open his mouth, but he knew he was right about one thing, he'd told Richie he was going to keep an eye on him, and he intended to stick to it.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"So if that guy's gone and has no business around here anymore...why do I still have to be on punishment?" Richie asked.  
  
"It's not a punishment Rich...and in any case, you're still under my watch because we don't know who else may have followed him to Seacouver...and the next time, it might be someone you'll just run into...I strongly suggest you lay low for a while, at least until there isn't such a risk of someone getting you," Duncan said.  
  
"Well why would anyone willingly want me?" Richie asked.  
  
"You'd be surprised what length some Immortals will go to when they come looking for me...I don't want to take any chances," Duncan told him, "understand?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Richie's reply sounded somewhat empty, but Duncan knew he understood.  
  
"I still can't see why these guys didn't try to take Connor's head, I mean, sure they may all have been looking for the same guy, but after he's gone, they're gonna go after someone else," Richie said.  
  
"And apparently they'll cross that bridge when they come to it...I've been in that position before...in time, you learn who your friends are, and who your enemies are," Duncan said.  
  
"Yeah but...think about it," Richie said, "if there can be only one of you left...that means that you have to kill every last Immortal, even Connor."  
  
"True...but, that's not something I plan on facing for a few hundred years," Duncan said.  
  
He knew Richie was right, which meant that soon he'd be finding himself in the same position. However, for now, Richie was Duncan's responsibility, and he was going to try to make sure Richie didn't become a part of the Game any time soon...The last thing he needed was meeting up again with Tony sometime in the near future. 


End file.
